XLIII.

"But how long time," said then the Elfin Knight, "Are you in this misformed hous to dwell?" "We may not chaunge," quoth he, " this evill¦ plight

"Till we be bathed in a living well;

« That is the terme prescribed by the spell.” "O how." fayd he, "mote I that well outfind, "That may reftore you to your wonted well?” "Time, and fufficed Fates, to former kynd "Shall us restore, none elfe from hence may us "unbynd."

XLIV.

The falfe Dueffa, now Fideffa hight,
Heard how in vaine Fradubio did lament,

And knew well all was true: but the good knight
Full of fad feare and ghaftly dreriment,

When all this fpeech the living tree had fpent,
The bleeding bough did thruft into the ground,
That from the blood he might be innocent,
And with fresh clay did ciofe the wooden wound;
Then turning to his lady, dead with feare her
fownd.

XLV.

Her feeming dead he fownd with feigned feare,
As all unweeting of that well fhe knew,
And paynde himfelfe with bufie care to reare
Her out of careleffe fwowne. Her eylids blew
And dimmed fight, with pale and deadly hew,
At last she up gan lift; with trembling cheare
Her up he tooke, (too fimple and too trew)
And oft her kift. At length all passed feare,
He fet her on her fteede, and forward forth
did beare.

To whom approaching fhe to her gan call,
To weet if dwelling place were nigh at hand;
But the rude wench her answered not at all;
She could not heare, nor speake, nor understand,
Till feeing by her fide the lyon stand,
With fuddein feare her pitcher downe fhe threw,
And fled away; for never in that land
Face of fayre lady the before did vew,

He was to weete a flout and sturdy thiefe,
Wont to robbe churches of their ornaments,
And poore mens boxes of their due reliefe,
Which given was to them for good intents:
The holy faints of their rich veftiments
He did difrobe, when all men carleffe flept,
And spoild the priests of their habiliments;

hew.

XII.

Full fast the fled, ne never lookt behynd,

As if her life upon the wager lay;

And home the came, whereas her mother blynd Sate in eternal night: nought could she say,

Then he by cunning Beights in at the window crept.

XVIII.

And all that he by right or wrong could find, Unto this houfe he brought, and did beftow Upon the daughter of this woman blind, Abella, daughter of Corceca flow,

Yet knight was not for all his bragging boft,
But fubtill Archimag, that Una fought
By traynes into new troubles to have toft:
Of that old woman tidings he befought,
If that of such a lady fhee could tellen ought.

XXV.

Therewith the gan her paffion to renew,
And cry, and curfe, and raile, and rend her heare,
Saying that harlott fhe too lately knew,
Tha caufd her fhed fo many a bitter teare;
And fo forth told the ftory of her feare.
Much seemed he to mone her haplesse chaunce,
And after for that lady did inquere ;
Which being taught, he forwarde gan advaunce
His fair enchaunted fleed.andeke his charmed launce,
XXVI.

Ere long he came where Una traveild flow,
And that wilde campion wayting her befyde;
Whom feeing fuch, for dread hee dur. not fhow
Himfelfe too nigh at hand, but tur ed wyde
Unto an hil; from whence when the him spyde,
By his like-feeming fhield he knight by name
Shee weend it was, and towards him gan ride:
Approching nigh the wift it was the fame,
And with faire fearfull humbleffe towards him fhe

came :

XXVII.

And weeping faid, "Ah! my long-lacked lord, "Where have ye bene thus long out of my fight! "Much feared I to have bene quite abhord, "Or ought have done that ye displeasen might, "That should as death unto my deare heart "light:

For fince mine eie your ioyous fight did mis, "My chearefull day is turnd to chearlesse night, "And eke my night of death the shadow is; "But welcome now my light, and fhining lampe "of blis."

XXVIII.

He thereto meeting faid," My dearest dame, "Far be it from your thought, and fro my wil, "To thinke that knighthood I 1o much should "fhame,

"As you to leave, that have me loved ftil, "And chofe in Faery Court of meere goodwil, "Where nobleft knights were to be found on "earth

"The earth fhall fooner leave her kindly skil "To bring forth fruit, and make eternal derth, "Then I leave you, my liefe, yborn of hevenly "berth.